Shocker! A Topless Protest Garnered Stares

In Portland, Maine, it is legal for women to go topless in public. And thus Ty MacDowell put up a post on Facebook asking ladies to join her for a topless walk down Congress Street over the weekend, to advance the idea that women should be able to exercise the right whenever they like. A few dozen showed up, and they began meandering down the block, sans shirts. But then, something insane happened. People—many of them men (gasp!)—stopped and stared. “I’m amazed and enraged at the fact that there’s a wall of men watching,” said MacDowell. “A lot of people were taking pictures without even asking. Even if you’re somewhere where people are fully clothed, you should ask.”She has a semi point with the photos, but honestly, I can’t believe MacDowell is surprised by this. Did she really think people would stroll on by as if nothing unusual was going down? Please. Wasn’t that the point of the stunt anyway—to get some attention? Otherwise, they would’ve made like nudists and had a topless party in an enclosed public space, not on a major thoroughfare. [Newser, Press Herald]